


Cut to The Feeling

by ishiplouis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cute, Fluff, London, M/M, Smut, firefighter dog, firefighter!harry, ghostwriter!louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 07:43:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12626349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ishiplouis/pseuds/ishiplouis
Summary: Louis has just moved into his new apartment in the fancy Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. All was well until he notices that his neighbour rarely closes the curtains which makes for an unlikely friendship to form.Or AU where Louis is a ghostwriter working from home, and Harry is his firefighter neighbour who happens to have the cutest dog on Earth.





	Cut to The Feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alienharry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienharry/gifts).



> Hi! This is for alienharry, I hope you like it, I wanted to add a twist to the this prompt and I hope I succeeded at least a little!  
> I just want to thank a billion time hazzabooween (tumblr) or the fantastic author offwiththeirheads (Ao3 username) for the help along the process, without you darling I wouldn't be publishing this today so thank you :) xxx
> 
> Enjoy !

 

  
  
  
  


Louis is knackered. 

 

Today has been a hectic day and he has to say that his distaste for exercising made it even worse. Moving apartments on his own would definitely not count as one of his best ideas that’s for sure.

 

When the big day approached he just did not feel like paying professionals for packing and moving all his stuff (he also might or might not have the money for it). 

 

Anyway, here he is, finally settled into his new one bedroom flat in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It’s a fancy place for him to usually afford but his latest collaboration earned him quite a lot of money so now he can afford to live in one of the richest Boroughs of London. 

 

He is a writer. That’s what he likes to call himself but in reality, what really makes him earn his living was his ghostwriting job. Unfortunately, the readers are more fascinated by what famous people have to say than the stories he wants to write. Therefore, quickly after his first fail, his agent at the time suggested that he should think about writing for others. Because he definitely has talent and he definitely loves writing, but to be able to make it his job was another issue.

 

But looking at his new home now, he is happy that he took his agent’s advice. Writing for others was obviously not his dream job, but it pays the bills, and seeing where he lives now, is way above than what he had imagined for himself.

 

***

 

Marcus appeared two days after Louis moved in. Louis named him Marcus but he actually has no clue what his real name is. Marcus has quickly become the highlight of Louis’ day. The ball of fluff never appears at the same time of the day though so Louis has to keep up with this odd schedule. And in order to do so Louis had decided to place his desk in front of the window where he can see Marcus.  

 

The first time he appeared, Louis was cleaning his new flat while some of Stevie Wonder’s classics were blasting through his laptop’s speakers. He was shimmying his hips along to the tunes while he cleaned, and the dog actually scared him when he appeared at his neighbour’s window. To be fair, Louis was not expecting someone to be watching his cleaning session (dance session), and he jumped when his gaze met the intruder’s. 

 

In all honestly how would you react if suddenly a dog appeared at the window of the apartment in front of you, on the other side of the street?

 

Louis just jumped in shock. But quickly approached his own window to have a better look. The dog was really beautiful, he or she seemed to be a golden retriever, and quite young, his little head with short ears is what it gives it away.  

 

“Hii!” Louis waved at the dog, not even a little self-conscious by the fact that he’s trying to have a conversation with a dog. “Hii, you! How are you, mate?”

 

The dog actually seemed to understand that he had Louis’s attention, and began scratching at the window. 

 

“Yeah, yeah! I’m talking to you, you’re a very good boy, aren’t you?” Louis was getting really happy now. He loved dogs but had never owned one, but he is definitely the kind of person to say ‘Look there’s a dog!!’’ if he spots a dog in the middle of the street. 

 

“What are you doing big, boy, huh?” Louis asked, his voice taking a softer tone as he addressed the dog, who probably couldn't even hear him., “Where’s your owner?” 

 

Well, either this dog was very intelligent or he was bored out of his mind, but he quickly disappeared only to come back a few seconds later with an object in his mouth.

 

“What is that now? Is that … is that a toy?” Louis was squinting his eyes to be able to see what the dog was showing him, “Is that your favourite toy, love? You want to play, huh?”

 

The golden retriever was growing agitated, scratching and jumping at the window, still holding what looks like a toy. 

 

“Poor baby, you’re all alone, huh? No one to play with you?” Louis asked, wondering where the owner was. He was certainly working, not everyone works from home Louis had to remind himself. Though looking at the time, he realises it was six in the evening, on a Monday. He hopes the owner would hurry up. 

  
  


After that, the dog comes to the window more and more often, always hoping that Louis would miraculously be able to come play with him. And Louis likes the company, even with his window closed he knows that the dog is there watching, waiting for him. 

 

“Already waiting for me, love?” Louis said to the dog, on a Thursday morning. It's been almost a week since Louis moved in, and he and the dog already have a routine. “Should we give you a name, darling?” Louis asked.

 

Seeing that the dog is now happily barking, Louis assumes that he is okay with this idea. 

 

“First, are you a boy or a girl? Mmh, I think you’re a boy! You’re a boy, baby?” Louis asked excitedly. The dog disappears for a split second and reappears with a ball in his mouth, “Ok, so we’ll assume that you’re a boy, ok? And I’m choosing Marcus, it fits you well, darling, don’t you agree?” 

 

In all honesty the more Louis was talking to the dog, the more he wanted to meet this neighbor from across the street and kidnap his dog. Surely Louis could do a better job; he would go on long walks and play a lot with the pup. Louis would not leave him alone for more than necessary, and would be there for him all the time. From what he could see, the dog seemed to be alone all day long. Often, the dog would be waiting for Louis to appear in the morning, already waiting in his spot at 8 o’clock. Louis would be able to see the dog in the evening too, until 6 pm sometimes, but never after that so Louis assumed that the owner comes back from work around that time.

 

Except waving, Louis could not do a lot for the poor ball of fluff. 

 

Day after day the dog became more inventive to try to coax Louis into coming to play with him.

Marcus brought his leash to the window first, then he tried with his toys, and the dog had tons of toys considering the amount of balls, teddy bears and plastic toys that Marcus presses against the window. In less than one week, Louis already had his opinion concerning Marcus’ owner. He’s certainly one of those pretentious guys who owns a dog, only to leave the poor baby alone, bored out of his mind all day long. If Louis meets this person one day, he will definitely have a few words to say to them. 

 

The thing is, as a writer, Louis pretty much never leaves his home. Especially not now that October is approaching, it’s way too cold outside for Louis’ liking. But as much as he would like to live only on takeaways, he still needs to socialise a little bit from time to time. 

 

So on a bright Saturday morning, Louis leaves his apartment, walking towards Gails the bakery, right by the corner of his street. Before leaving, he had checked his pockets of his autumnal coat for his wallet before quickly running down the stairs. 

 

It’s 8 am and Louis is already a little behind on his schedule. He is working on two different projects at the moment, that’s why he doesn’t get to enjoy lazy weekends. He needs to be productive even on weekends. The street is really calm this early in the morning, certainly because the sun is not completely out yet. The cold breeze hits him right as he stepped into the street. He cannot refrain himself from looking at his neighbour’s window to see if Marcus is already up, and after a quick glance up to the window he can only assume that the dog is certainly still snoozing. 

 

As he walks down the street, a deafening siren similar to the sound of an ambulance passes by him, making him grumble under his breath as to why they have to be so noisy at such an early time of the day when there’s absolutely no one on the road to slow them down. 

 

Quickly though, he smells the delicious aroma of fresh pastries before he can actually see the bakery, and his mouth begins to water. He quickens his pace only to find that a little queue has formed outside the shop. Louis takes his place at the end of the line and takes out his phone from his pocket to pass the time. He has only gotten his screen to light up when two strong paws are on him, causing him to let out a little shriek. 

 

“Woaf! Woaf!” 

 

Louis could not believe his eyes. Just in front of him (well rather on him) is Marcus! The adorable and smart dog that has became Louis’ only entertainment the past few days, here in flesh and bone!

 

“Hey, you!” Louis says excitedly crouching down to pet the dog behind his ears. “I’m so happy to finally meet you! How did you recognise me, buddy?? You’re so smart!” he keeps on cooing to the dog who’s laid on his back enjoying scratches on his belly. “You’re such a good, boy, huh? Yeah, such a good boy! So pretty, huh?”

 

The petting session continues for a good ten minutes, the dog was having the time of his life, showing his belly then his back and chin for scratches barely allowing Louis a minute to breath, but good god the man was enjoying this impromptu meeting. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Bo, come here now! Bo!” A deep voice from the front suddenly interrupts their moment. The dog upon hearing the command, very likely from his owner, quickly stands up and trots towards the front door of the bakery. “I’m so sorry. Was he bothering you? I completely forgot to attach his leash to the pole before going inside!” the man says looking apologetic.

 

“Well, he was being a perfect gent if you had looked at him before yelling. He just came to say hello to an old friend,” Louis replies, crossing his arms over his chest. So this tall and brawny man was the famous owner. Louis was finally facing him and was ready to give this man a piece of his mind on how to care for a dog.

  
  


***

 

Harry had left the fire station at 8 in the morning, exhausted. He had just finished his night shift and was ready to head straight to bed but his dog wouldn’t allow him this pleasure. 

 

Because Liam, both his friend and colleague, just had a baby girl, Harry had accepted to swap his daily shifts with Liam’s night shifts for a whole month, but damn if only he had known how exhausting it is to work at night. Not that the work was crazy busy at the fire station, it actually was calmer than during the day time, seeing as the majority of the Londoners were asleep. It’s just that his body was not used to being awake all night long at all, even if he was making himself busy at work and participated in every conversation he could have with his colleagues, he still couldn’t wait to be back to his usual shifts.

 

Bo, his dog, did not seem to like the change either. He was definitely getting less exercise with the lesser interventions they had on nightly shifts, he still got to sleep pretty much the whole night even, all curled up in his cosy bed. Of course Harry would eye him with jealousy. Harry was mainly busy with paperwork and cleaning at the fire station and all he dreamed about was his comfy bed. 

 

Another indication that the young golden retriever didn’t like this change of schedule was the mess Harry would wake up to every late afternoon. So many toys were scattered everywhere on the living room floor, his leash too, and weirdly everything was close to the window that faces the street, as if Bo thought it was the front door. Weird.

 

He knows his dog needed exercise seeing as he is a firefighter dog, he needs his daily dose of running, and executing tasks. Bo is very smart, he has been trained by Harry and two other trainers who used to come to the station everyday for four hours. Bo can definitely save lives, he can crawl into spaces any human cannot, he knows a lot of tricks and tasks. He is still very young. At 8 months he still has lot to learn, but he is a quick learner so Harry knows the trainers won’t have to come after Bo’s first birthday. His dog will definitely be fully trained once he turns a year old.

 

But for now, it’s 8 in the morning, and seeing as his dog does not get to exercise as much as he needs to on those night shifts, Harry took to the habit of having a long walk with him at the Battersea Park. It’s a huge park and within a ten minute walking distance from the fire station. Bo loves it, he gets to run around and spend his energy, and often he can even makes friends seeing as the neighbourhood has a growing population of dogs. 

 

For Harry though, it’s a little less appreciable. It definitely postpones his night of sleep so that’s why he also took to the habit of buying himself a coffee and sometimes a pastry at Gail’s the bakery, located right in front of the station.

 

This morning is no different from the last fifteen mornings they've been through, during the crazy month of September. Harry is patiently waiting his turn in the queue when he hears a dog barking. A happy barking he thought to himself. He can’t proclaim himself as a dog whisperer but being the dog handler at the fire station he knows how to differentiate different types of barking.

 

“Hi, Harry! The usual?” Perry the girl behind the counter asks him with too much enthusiasm for this early in the morning.

 

“Yes. Thanks.” Harry responds, his banking card already ready to touch the terminal. 

 

“How was the night shift today, H?” And yeah, Perry tries to make him talk everyday but even though Harry has been told he is a very nice guy more often than not, he can’t find it in himself to have a conversation this late (early).

 

“Oh you know the usual, can’t wait to catch up on sleep when I get home,” he replies while paying for his decaf’ coffee.

 

“Have a good night then, you seem particularly knackered today, H!” The girl replies handing him the hot beverage.

 

“Yeah, def..” Harry tries to answer as he heads towards the front door, but he is interrupted by the spectacle he can see through the bakery’s windows. His dog is literally having a proper fit with a man outside of the shop and without thinking Harry rushes outside. 

 

“Oh my god I’m so sorry! Bo, come here now! Bo!” Thankfully Bo stopped bothering the man immediately and came trotting towards Harry. “I’m so sorry. Was he bothering you? I completely forgot to attach his leash to the pole before going inside!”

 

The stranger slowly straightens up and fixes his gaze on Harry.

 

“Well, he was being a perfect gent if you had looked at him before yelling. He just came to say hello to an old friend.” 

 

And ...what? 

 

“Oh no I’m not yelling, I just thought …” Harry starts to explain himself only to be shortly interrupted by the hazel brown haired man in front of him. His eyes are a pretty shade of blue but his expression was harsh towards Harry, as if before even getting to know to him, he already hated Harry. 

 

“Yeah not yelling, ha let me laugh, mate!” the man laughs ironically, “I know your behaviour you know. I know you treat this dog badly!” The man, who was at least one head shorter than Harry was getting closer to him, pointing his finger at Harry’s chest.

 

“Woah, woah easy there!” Harry says raising both of his hands in surrender, “Who are you to lecture me on how to treat my own dog?!” He really tries to keep calm but his patience is minimal at this time of the day.

 

“I’m the neighbor who lives opposite your house.” the petite man snaps, “and I keep witnessing day after day how you neglect your dog!” 

 

“How I what? What are you talking about mate?” Harry breathes angrily, “Also why are you spying on me?” 

 

The shorter man looked a little less angry now as if he has been caught with one hand in the cookie jar. 

 

“I...I don’t spy on you!” he tries to defend himself, “I just...I...Marcus is looking for me everyday, that’s why I know what you do.” he says matter of factly. 

 

“Marcus? Who is Marcus? I think you’re talking to the wrong person, pal, seriously, I don’t know anyone called Marcus.”

 

“Pff, this is Marcus” The stranger says, pointing at Bo who was sitting by his feet during the whole exchange looking absolutely ready to leave any moment to have an adventure in the Park. “I named him Marcus because I did not know his name.”

 

Harry was puzzled to say the least. “Ok you know what? I’m going to walk my dog now, and finally have my night of sleep, and hopefully when I wake up this afternoon, everything that just happened” he said pointing at the space between them, “would be just a bad dream. Have a nice day, mate.”  

 

And just like that he turns on his heel and leaves.

  
  


***

 

Louis was enraged. Finally, he had the chance to meet Marcus’ owner. The dog had been so happy to see him, wagging his tail so much that his body was undulated like a big snake! His assumptions were actually true, the dog could not be more than seven months, his fur was still so soft, and his little teeth were quite small. Marcus was definitely still a puppy and an adorable one at that. His master on the other hand was a different story.

 

Louis was not a man of arguments, he was quite calm and well behaved. He learned over time how to express his feelings through his words. However, hearing the owner ordering Marcus so harshly annoyed him more than he thought it would, considering the pup was not his own dog. 

What can he say? He just could not control himself when he faced the owner who was looking all worried, seeming to think that his dog was attacking Louis. 

 

For a man of words, Louis was a little ashamed about how the conversation had gone, later on, he would try to convince himself that it’s because he feels weirdly implicated in Marcus’ life but really, Louis just did not think it would go that way. 

 

Now, sitting at his desk, trying his best to concentrate on his work, he thinks about what his neighbor had said, and something is still not clear. What did his neighbor mean by his ‘night of sleep’? Is he catching up on sleep? If so, why would he, at 8 in the morning? Especially when it's work hours for a normal person. Nothing made sense. But Louis needs to be back on track with the current book he was writing: a politician's autobiography. 

 

He was only on chapter 2, and Louis already knew this book would be a chore to write. Nothing really thrilling had happened to this person, who was still young to write an autobiography about, if you’d ask Louis’ opinion. But this was his job and he was paid a good amount of money to do it, so Louis focuses back on the open document on his screen, putting aside his morning misadventure.  

  
  
  


***

  
  


Harry was twisting and turning on his bed, unable to sleep. He really needed to sleep though, his entire body felt sore and weary but his brain was not cooperating. After thirty minutes of failed attempts, he decides to go check on his dog. The stranger he met did say some pretty weird (and mean) things to him regarding his dog, and Harry being the kind hearted man he is couldn’t just forget about all of it just like that. 

 

“Bo! Where are you, buddy?” He asks, walking out of his room and into the living room.

 

As soon as he hears his name the dog was up and walking towards his owner’s voice, happy to have some company.

 

“Hey, Bub! How are you, babe?” Harry asks, caressing the young dog, “Come with me to the sofa?” 

 

As soon as Harry sits on the couch, the dog is already jumping next to him, sitting and looking expectantly at him.

 

“No, Bo. No, we are not playing tricks today, just cuddle time ok? You’re ok with cuddle time?” He says affectionately to the dog. Seeing as Bo was all over his owner’s lap, you could say that he was more than happy for this unexpected cuddle time.

 

“Yeah, you’re ok with it, huh!” Harry coos at his dog, who was facing him now, ready to lick all over Harry’s face to show his enthusiasm. “You know I care about you bub, huh?” he continues, “You’re my precious pup, aren’t you? You would tell me if something is wrong, huh?” 

 

Of course Harry knew that Bo was not going to reply to any of it, but he was still a firm believer that talking to your dog is important and that dogs could understand the different emotions conveyed by the human voice. Looking into the eyes of his puppy, he knew his dog felt that Harry was a little worried. That’s probably why the dog continues to lick his hands when he was done with his face. That’s also why he jumps back onto the floor and goes to grab one of his balls to play with Harry, certainly thinking that if playing makes him happy it could make his master happy again. 

 

“Wanna play, Bo?” Harry asks, rhetorically, “You know we don’t play with balls inside. Go grab another toy, go now!” 

 

And the dog did exactly as he was told. He grabs a teddy bear and brings it back to Harry, putting it on his lap, and waits for Harry to play his part. 

 

“Such a good, boy!” Harry coos, “Ok, go! Now!” The teddy bear flies across the room to land on the opposite wall, then crashes onto the floor. The dog is already grabbing his toy as soon as it touches the floor, but instead of going back to Harry for another go, he goes straight to the living room’s large window. Bo puts his two paws against the glass and whines looking straight in front of him.  

 

“Bo?” Harry stands up and is about to go check what’s going on with his dog, he always comes back to Harry when they are playing, it’s actually one of the first tricks he had learnt. “What are you doing?” he approaches the window and checks quickly outside. The dog beneath him is growing agitated now, scratching at the window with his two front paws, Harry is getting perplexed.

 

“Bo! Stop it now!” He commands, “you’re going to break the window if you keep going at it!” 

 

The dog whines and barks once more, but remains at his place, his paws pressed against the window as he stares outside.

 

***

  
  


Yorkshire tea. That’s Louis’ favourite remedy when something is wrong. That’s why he is currently going back to his desk with a steaming cup full of delicious tea. As the hours passed, Louis only continued to grow annoyed with himself.. He hadn’t reacted like an adult this morning, no matter what he thought about his neighbour's manners he shouldn’t have jumped at his throat without even introducing himself. He swore to himself to make a good second impression. He has to try, at least. 

 

Sitting back at his desk and touching lightly at the touchpad of his laptop to turn it on, he could not refrain himself from glancing at Marcus’ window. Even though, he was not expecting to see the dog, the last thing he expected to see was both the dog and his master staring right at him.

 

Like a deer caught in the headlights of a car in the night, Louis loses his balance, he falls off, knocking his legs against his chair. The man from this morning seems to have seen him now, and Louis is still standing there, his cup in one hand, his gaze fixed on the opposite house, looking petrified. What should he do? Should he wave to say hello? The dog seems to wait for him to acknowledge his presence, he should definitely wave, should he not? 

 

Apparently his brain is getting old and his thought process is taking longer than he thought it would because when Louis raises his hand to wave to his neighbour, said neighbor has already disappeared behind a thick curtain. 

 

And … what? 

 

“What the fuck is wrong with this guy??” Louis is bewildered by his neighbour's behaviour, he was clearly acting with a rudeness Louis did not witness every day. Who is this guy? How is it possible to have an adorable dog and be so discourteous? “Unbelievable” he murmurs, shaking his head slightly in disapproval while sitting back on his chair. 

 

***

  
  


Harry was spooked. When he spotted the short man from this morning, he first reaction was shock. He seemed to understand what the stranger had meant this morning when he said he could see whoever ‘Marcus’ is everyday. In fact, their respective windows were facing each other, and even though Harry did not look at his neighbour’s for a long time, he could see how the petite man he met this morning could check on him everyday. Damn it! This person must have moved in recently because Harry has lived here for three years and he had never had this problem! Granted, he never worked for an entire month where he exclusively did night shifts which gave his dog the freedom to do whatever he wants all day, which apparently included befriending the neighbour from across the street. Harry is, actually, well known in his neighbourhood, being a firefighter and owning a dog are probably two factors that explain why Harry is liked by his neighbours. People know who he is, and he can say that he knows pretty much all the tenants in his building. He has been taught to help the elderly people cross the road, to help them with their heavy grocery bags; he likes to bake too and living alone means he always ends up with too much baked goods, but he is always happy to share with his neighbours. Anyway, Harry would never react like he did just now if he was in his right mind.

 

“Oh god, I need to go to sleep.” he mumbles to himself as he enters his bedroom. 

 

***

 

Three days later, Louis is stuck. Completely stumped on this autobiography he is meant to write. The first draft is supposed to be finished in less than two weeks, and he is still on the fifth chapter when the book is supposed to have at least 30 of them. Normally, when he is stuck, he would schedule an appointment with the person he was ghostwriting for and have a small interview with them, it always helped him to get back on track. This time though, he was only allowed to see the person once, and unfortunately for Louis this person was not the most eloquent when talking about their life. The second option to find inspiration again, would be to close his laptop and go outside and do something, anything, maybe even just walk around and let his mind wander. It helps him sometimes when he writes his own stories. 

 

Without further hesitation, he’s already putting on a beanie, a coat and a scarf. Louis is ready to go outside. Before taking his door keys placed in the little bowl by the entrance, he glancea towards Marcus’ window. God, he would have loved to be able to go for a walk with the dog. For sure, the fluff ball would have been quite the entertainment! Louis could picture him running like a savage after the ball he would have thrown at the dog …

 

But enough of the daydreams for now, Louis takes his keys, opens the door and lets it lock itself behind him; he’s already lost in his thoughts, over thinking about his boring assignment. Don’t get him wrong, he loves to be able to write for a living and he even found a liking in writing for famous people, he likes the thought that he’s doing what they aren’t able to do. He knows how to write stories, how to take a boring fact and transform it into a thrilling story. That’s his talent, he is an artist. But for now, the chilly air outside has begun to run cold fingers against his skin, and he has to fasten his pace in order to stay warm. It's not even October, and autumn seems to have already arrived in London… Crazy when you think about it …

 

“Hey!!” A deep voice pulls him out of his thoughts. “Heeey!!” The voice insists and Louis can’t pretend that he did not hear, that would be plain rude so he slowly proceeds to have a look over his shoulder to see who is calling him. Maybe he dropped something and this person wants to give it back to him, he thinks.

“Yeah, you! Hii!” The voice repeats and quickly Louis is able to put a face to this voice. It’s a familiar face. He knows this person.

 

“Fuck,” he mutters to himself, this is his neighbour, Marcus’ owner. But wait, what is he wearing? Is that a firefighter’s uniform?

 

“Hi, sorry for accosting you like that but I saw you leaving your flat and...”

 

Louis is not listening anymore. The man in front of him is taller than him, Louis needs to raise his head to see his eyes, which is interesting because Louis did not notice this fact during their first encounter. He also did not notice the colour of his neighbour’s eyes, green but not a plain boring green, but a rich, deep emerald that seems to change colour like a crystal does when the sun strikes it's angles, Louis could write poetry about his eyes. And his mop of curls is a much darker brown that Louis', longer and softer towards the end, curls that tumble over his shoulders like waves that roll over the shore . His pale skin contrasts his hair. Louis is mesmerized by this man, it feels like this is the first time he’s seeing this person, and he can’t ignore the weird fluttering feeling in his stomach. The man is gorgeous, undeniably.  

 

“Hi,” It's the only response his brain seems to be capable of forming right then and he is not even ashamed. He’s at a loss for words, that’s what’s happening and Louis can’t say he is not agreeably surprised by all this. He needed a distraction, here it comes apparently.

 

“Um hi, are you ok?” Studying his neighbour's gaze, Louis can tell his response wasn't what his neighbour had been expecting.

 

“Yes I’m alright, I’m sorry, you were saying?”

 

“I was saying that I saw you leaving your building and I thought I would apologise for what happened the other time, you know, when I saw you from my window...”

 

The man looks embarrassed, cheeks flushed as he stares intently at the floor.

 

“Oh yeah, when you closed your curtains on me when I was waving at you!” Louis recounts.

 

“Yeah, well I wanted to say I’m sorry. I just finished 10 hours of my night shift at the station and I was knackered, honestly” he explains, sheepishly, rubbing at his nape. He looks really guilty, Louis has to admit.

 

“You work at the fire station?”

 

“Yeah, I was about to run some errands when I saw you.”

 

“Oh, so you’re a firefighter?”

 

Louis, always spotting the obvious...

 

“Yeah, I actually work at the fire station just there” his neighbour states, pointing at the red building behind him. “And my dog works with me. I mean he is a firehouse dog and I am the dog handler...”

 

“Marcus?” Louis is astonished! Marcus is a firehouse dog, that’s beyond amazing! Suddenly he needs to know everything about this man and his dog.

 

“Um, my dog’s name is Bo actually, not Marcus” 

 

“Oh god! Yes, of course!” Louis smiles, “I just .. your dog kept appearing at your window every day for the past week, so I had to give him a name you know..” 

Saying all of this aloud now sounds really silly, and Louis is slowly starting to feel uncomfortable, as the neighbour does seem to be following his train of thoughts. “Well anyway, I guess I should say I am sorry too” he adds, “I judged you too quickly before even getting to know you, and Marcus always seemed so sad...”

 

“Bo,” the neighbor interrupts him, “My dog’s name is Bo.”

 

“Yes Bo, of course his name is Bo, I’m sorry I’m just used to calling him Marcus I guess.” Louis recalls with a smile.

 

“It’s ok. I can’t say I don’t find this situation weird but I guess I understand,” the man says smiling, Louis can’t say if he’s sincere or just eager to run away from this conversation to be honest.

“I should get going actually, it was a pleasure to meet you...”

 

“Louis, Louis Tomlinson” Louis responds, “and you are?” 

 

“I’m Harry Styles” his neighbour answers with a smile that allows his dimples to appear, damn the man is really beautiful. The more Louis looks at him, the more particularities he can find about his neighbour. And he likes everything he’s found so far.

 

“Alright, I’ll see you around then,” Louis concludes.

 

“Yes, definitely, Bo seems to like you so if you want to go for a walk with us some time...” 

 

“Oh yes, that’s a brilliant idea! I’ll see you then.” 

 

“Yeah, see you, have a nice afternoon.” 

 

And just like that Louis is alone again, his beautiful neighbour walking back to his flat. 

  
  


***

  
  


“Hey Bo, it’s me!” Harry shouts happily when he opens his front door but there was no need to announce his entrance because his dog is already by the door, waiting for him. “Did you miss me, pup?’ he asks, petting Bo’s on top of his head. The dog looks all sleepy, and is stretching his body so Harry guesses that he was sleeping while he was away. “Guess who I met today, Bo? I met the neighbour, the one you like.” Harry says pointing at the living room window with his pointer finger, “his name is Louis and he is …. quite weird. But he seems nice, so I understand why you like him, puppy!” 

 

His dog is listening to him chatting with his head tilted to his left side, he looks so cute that Harry can’t keep his hands to himself. He proceeds to stroke behind Bo's ears, his back and even his belly, everywhere he knows his dog loves to be scratched. 

 

“You’re being all cute now, huh?” Harry coos, “we’re going to work soon, pup, let me put on my uniform, yeah?”

 

While changing into his work clothes, Harry thinks about his neighbour. He feels really happy about how their conversation had gone, that they both apologised and introduced themselves properly. His encounter with Louis today felt like he’d been talking to a new person, maybe it’s because Harry was less sleepy and wasn’t taken aback by the rude comments he heard. Anyway, he could definitely see them being friends. In addition to everything, Louis seems to adore his dog and even though it seems a little creepy at first, Harry understands the situation better now. Bo is just so likeable. He’s got this puppy face and his little ears and soft fur. You just want to cuddle him and give him kisses. If a dog like that would give him puppy eyes every day for a week Harry would no doubt grow attached to it! 

 

When it’s finally time to go to work, Harry whistles for his dog to come to the door, and they both make their way outside. 

 

“Let’s go, Bo. It’s the last night of this horrid night shift.” he says to his dog as they start walking towards the firehouse. 

 

***

 

Three days later, Louis is doing his grocery shopping at Waitrose in King Road. It’s mostly a chore for him, he wishes he could have someone doing all the shopping and cooking for him to be honest, because let’s face it, he’s rubbish at it. It’s not that he doesn’t want to try, but the only cooking experiences he’s had, always turned into disasters after just 10 minutes of him being in the kitchen, so in order to avoid destroying more of his furniture, he wisely chose to buy meals that were already cooked, or ones that don’t require too much effort in the kitchen. 

 

That’s why every time he has to go out to buy food for the week, he likes to show how annoyed he is by wearing earphones, blasting music loudly. He doesn’t even bother to tame his hair, his messy fringe blocking his sight. To complete the look, he wears his glasses and old tracksuit with a white tee.Nobody even glances at him when he dresses like that, not even the old ladies who always try to strike up a conversation with him. Nobody. And that’s what Louis is looking for. Making sure to spend the least amount of time in Waitrose. 

 

Once he is done at the checkout, he quickly takes the two bags of food and walks towards the exit. As much as he would like to be outside as soon as possible, something or rather someone is blocking the exit doors.

“Harry?” Louis says, removing his earphones.

 

“Oh hi, Louis! How are you?” Harry asks with a big smile plastered across his face, he doesn’t seem to notice that he is creating a queue. He’s currently standing right in the middle of the sliding doors, blocking the path to anyone who wants to enter.

 

“I’m fine, what’s going on? Why is Bo in a bag?”  Louis asks incredulously. In all his twenty seven years of life, he has never seen something so ridiculous. Harry is carrying his 8 months old golden retriever in a bag hanging off his shoulder. The most laughable fact being that Harry nor the dog seems bothered by the situation, as if it was a common thing to do.

 

“They don’t allow dogs in the store, but I saw them allowing dogs in purses, so I don’t understand why they don’t want me inside. My dog is in a bag” he says getting slightly annoyed, looking at the woman wearing a Waitrose uniform and blocking the way.

 

“Sir, that’s not possible. I’m sorry, your dog is too big.” She insists.

 

“Well that’s not fair!” Harry says, looking outraged, “If my dog was a Chihuahua he would be allowed to come inside? Is that what you’re implying?”

 

The poor lady looks expectantly at Louis, imploring some help certainly; she’s definitely lost for words.

 

“Ok, um you know what? I’ll take your dog, and we’ll stay outside for you.” Louis proposes, “Are you ok with leaving your dog with me for a few minutes? You won’t be too long, right?”

 

Harry is looking more than reluctant, which even if Louis understands, because they’re still strangers to each other, he can’t help but feel a bit disappointed by Harry’s reaction. 

 

“It’s ok if you don’t want to, Harry. I understand.” he says, putting one earphone back in his ear.

 

“No, no!” Harry exclaims, “It’s not that I don’t want to, or don’t trust you, it’s just ... Bo is almost like a service dog. He should be allowed to come into a store without any trouble.” he looks at the lady with a furious gaze, “just because he doesn’t have a sign that says he’s a service dog doesn’t mean he’s not one, he’s a firehouse dog, Madam. One day he could save your life! And that’s how you treat him?”

 

The poor lady looks contrite. She certainly wasn’t expecting to face this kind of incident on this bright morning.

 

“Harry, hey it’s ok. She’s just doing her job,” Louis interferes, “Maybe you should go inside and buy what you came here for?”

 

“Yeah ok. So it’s fine if I leave him with you?”

 

“Of course! More than happy to help you with this, mate.”

 

“Ok, here’s his leash. Be careful, ok?” Harry asks giving him Bo’s leash. He looks on expectantly, waiting for Louis to promise to take care of his dog.

 

“Yes of course, Harry. I’ll take care of him, we’ll be staying here ok? I won’t move, promise.” Louis says with a smile, he actually really loves how much Harry takes care of his dog.

 

“Ok,” Harry says petting his dog’s head, “I won’t be long, I just need some almond milk and gluten free bread.” 

 

With that, he goes inside the store, disappearing quickly. Thank god, he actually left that fast because Louis’ pulling a weird face after having heard what Harry’s planning on buying. Gluten free bread????? Almond milk???? Is his neighbour a health nut???? What’s even gluten free bread?? 

 

“What’s wrong with your owner, Bo?” he asks crouching on the floor to meet the dog’s eyes. 

 

The dog only whines and licks his face. Louis sighs, it’s not an answer but Louis promises himself to ask Harry if he is part of this weird trend that consists of not eating meat and all that good stuff. 

 

For now though, he’s getting a lot of attention. Bo is so damn cute that all the kids and ladies that pass by him, look at him with a bright smile on their faces, even some people are brave enough to come and pet the young dog. 

 

He gets so many compliments about Bo, he’s getting the impression that maybe owning a golden retriever could be the key to finding friends and even romantic partners. 

 

“Hey, I’m back!” Harry says passing the front door, “Hey Bo! Were you a good boy, baby?” he asks Bo, who is whining and wagging his tail, so happy to be with his owner again. 

 

Louis can’t stop smiling, this pup is literally so adorable. Louis wants to ask Harry if he can keep the dog for longer. 

 

“Everything alright?” Harry asks, startling Louis from his thoughts once again.

 

“Yeah, Bo is the best,” he responds, “he’s got the attention of pretty much everyone who has walked by.” 

 

“Oh yeah, I know he still has his puppy face. He’s the cutest, isn’t he?” 

 

“He definitely is! Should we head back now?” It’s not that Louis doesn’t like to stay and chat with Harry in the middle of the street, but he can’t forget that he’s still sporting his worst look at the moment and that his short trip to the shop is becoming a one hour long experience. 

 

“Yeah let’s go back. Thank you so much for taking care of Bo by the way, we should definitely go for a walk one day with Bo. You seem to love dogs.” 

 

“Yes I actually do. I’m very close to kidnapping your dog by the way, he is the most adorable puppy I have ever seen!” 

 

“Well, I know where you live, so it wouldn’t be very hard for me to come and get him back, right?” 

 

“True! Well, I’m a writer. I work from home, so you should definitely ring me next time you go for a walk with Bo. I’ll be happy to join you guys.” 

 

“Yeah ok, it’s a deal. Here,” Harry says giving his phone, “put your number in and ring yourself, so you can have mine.” 

 

Once they exchange numbers, Louis gives the phone back to Harry and proceeds to say bye to Bo as they arrive at their street. 

 

“Bye, Bo. See you later!” he says scratching the dog’s head, “Bye, Harry. It was a pleasure to help you out, don’t forget to ring me, yeah?” 

 

“Of course!” Harry smiles retrieving his flat’s keys from his back pocket, “oh by the way, Lou! Nice glasses! Fits you well!” 

 

With a final wave and a little smirk, Harry opens the door and steps inside his flat, Bo right on his heels.

 

And … what the fuck was that? 

 

***

  
  


Harry entered his flat smiling so much that his cheeks hurt. The look on Louis’ face when he complimented him on his glasses was exactly what he was reaching for. As soon as he spotted Louis at Waitrose he couldn’t stop himself from looking at him from head to toe. The man looked so much younger, his hair all messy that Harry doubted he had even made an attempt to comb it this morning. His clothes were one size too big on him, and the glasses framed his tired eyes. Harry wanted to give him a hug, Louis looked so damn cute but also so small and defenseless. 

 

He wondered if Louis is into men. He tried to remember all the encounters they had the past few weeks, and honestly they never talked about their personal life, maybe Louis has a boyfriend or is straight or aro ... who knows? 

Harry was determined to found out though. 

 

That's why two days later, when he ends his shift at 6pm, he takes out his phone and decides to text Louis. 

 

_ Hey! It's Harry, your neighbour! I just got off work and I was wondering if you're still up for a walk with Bo? Didn't get a lot of exercise today, he could use a walk to the park :)  _

 

Happy with this casual message, he decides to send it. He doesn't even have the time to put his phone in his back pocket before his screen is lighting up. He’s got a new message.

 

**Hi Harry! I'm totally up for a walk rn! Should we meet in 5 minutes?**

_ Yes, we will be waiting for you. See you soon :) _

 

Putting his phone in his back pocket, he decides to go wait for Louis by his front door.

 

“Come on, Bo, let’s go. Louis is coming with us, you remember Louis right?”

 

The dog, smart as ever, wags his tail and starts walking towards Louis’ apartment. 

 

“Yep, good boy, Bo!” 

 

The dog is still learning but Harry can say that his dog recognises more than 30 words by now. Guess he’ll have to add the name Louis on this list! 

 

When they arrive at his neighbour’s door, Louis is already waiting for them, wearing boyish blue jeans and a grey hoodie with a big scarf wrapped up around his neck.

 

“Hey! How are you? I hope we didn’t interrupt your schedule!” Harry greeted enthusiastically as he walked towards Louis. He just wanted to give Louis a big hug, but he refrains himself from doing so. A shake of the hand will suffice for now, it’s not the time to scare the other man off.

 

“Hi! No, don’t worry. I actually don’t really have a schedule. I just know I have to write a certain amount per day. When I write it is totally up to me” he responds with a smile, “Hey, Bo! How are you, love?” he addresses Bo, crouching to face him.  

 

Unsurprisingly, the dog is more than happy to meet his neighbour once again. He even barks happily and puts his two front paws on Louis’s knee, begging for scratches under his chin and behind his ears. 

 

“Ok, enough, Bo, let’s go now!” Harry commands and the dog immediately leaves Louis alone, following Harry as they start their walk towards the park. 

 

But Louis can’t help himself and asks. “You never let him get away with anything, do you? You want him to always be perfect or something?” 

 

“No, of course not. He won’t be perfect,” Harry frowns, “but his job means that I need to keep him away from too much distraction. Some service dogs can’t even be touched by other people except for their owner. It would prevent them from focusing on their tasks.” he explains. 

 

“Well, that’s not really fun, innit?” Louis still doesn’t understand why Harry is so strict with his puppy. Yes, he is a firehouse dog, but some cuddles won’t distract him from his job. Plus, they are off work right now, so it really doesn’t make any sense to him. 

 

“Yes, I know it’s not fun but I don’t make the rules. When Bo retires, you’ll be able to spoil him all you want but for now, I need to keep strict boundaries.” Harry adds.

 

“So, Bo can still go to play at the Park?” Louis asks, a slight pout on his face.

 

“Yes, of course. You’re going to see, he’s very good at bringing back the ball!” 

 

“Great! Can’t wait to finally play with him. He asked for it so many times, you would not believe me if I told you!” Louis says with a bright smile on his face, though seeing the look of incredulity on Harry’s face he adds, “Oh yeah, maybe I should explain everything to you from the beginning, shouldn’t I?”

 

“Yes please! Honestly I am very curious about this story. I know Bo is intelligent, but trying to coax you to come to play with him from my window is definitely not something I thought he would do.” 

 

“Well, I moved in at the beginning of the month, and your dog was the first one to welcome me to the neighbourhood.” Louis chuckles. Bo starts pawing at the ground impatiently and pulling on his leash the moment they set foot in the park. “Look at him! Impatient to have a run!” 

 

“Bo, sit and wait!” Harry orders earning a roll of the eyes from Louis. 

 

The dog immediately complies which allows Harry to detach his leash from his collar, freeing him. He has every chance to run, but Bo knows that he needs to stay still and wait for Harry's order.

 

“Good boy. You can go now!” Harry says softly. As soon as Harry utters those words, Bo is running wildly towards the closest patch of grass. “Now look.” Harry whispers to Louis, leaning closer to the shorter man, “if you think he was adorable before, you’re going to reconsider it, in a good way of course!” 

 

With a questioning look on his face, Louis watches Bo trot onto a big patch of grass and proceed to roll himself over it. Bo is so happy that he won't stop barking as he twists his body this way and that, trying to scratch his back on the grass.

 

“Oh my god!” Louis exclaims putting both hands in front of his mouth, “what is he doing?!” 

 

“Well, it’s Bo being happy to see some grass! He does that everytime we come here!”

 

“Oh god, this is fantastic! He is fantastic! Can I go pet him now, or is it forbidden?” Louis asks looking at Harry with a hopeful look on his face. 

 

“Yeah of course. He’ll love it if you pet his belly!” Harry was so enamoured by Louis’ enthusiasm towards his dog. Of course he meets people everyday who compliments his dog, but with Louis it’s different. When Harry mentioned Bo’s retirement, Louis didn’t even flinch, as if he would still be around then. Harry is pretty sure if he asked Louis to pet sit Bo, he would immediately accept, no questions asked. Those are the kinds of people Harry wants to be surrounded by, people who love animals and are committed to this love. And watching Louis kneeling beside his dog, giving him belly rubs, laughing and cooing at Bo, Harry is even more determined to find out if Louis could be interested in him. 

 

“Oi! I see that you guys are having a good time without me!” Harry calls out jogging towards them. 

 

“Haha! Well, Harry I’m sorry to say this but I think Bo is enjoying being with me better than he does with you.” Louis answers cheekily, standing up and dusting the dirt off his knees. 

 

“Oh, so that was your plan all along, huh? Stealing my dog’s affection!” 

 

“There is no plan!” Louis exclaims slightly offended, “if I recall correctly your dog came to me first!”

 

“Woof woof!!” Bo was expectantly watching them now, especially Harry.

 

“What do you want, Bo?” Harry asks retrieving a tennis ball from the outside pocket of his coat. “Is this what you want, Bo?” he asks letting Bo smell the ball, “Ok, sit now. Alright, go get it!” he shouts while throwing the ball so far away they couldn’t even see it anymore from where they are.

“Oh my god, where did you throw it? I can’t see it anymore!” Louis asks, amazement readable on his face. “Are you Iron man in disguise or something like that?!” 

 

“Hahaha, no Lou!!” Harry laughs, “I’m just used to this, and I know Bo needs to run tonight. He didn’t get to do a lot today.” he adds, his two hands raised above his head, putting his long hair into a high bun.

 

“Woof woof!!” Bo was already back, dropping the ball at Louis’ feet. He was ready for Louis’ turn to throw the ball for him.

 

“Looks like it's my turn apparently,” Louis chuckles picking up the ball and turning it in his hand,“fair warning everyone, I don’t throw balls like a superhero.” he adds before swinging his arm back and throwing with as much force as he could. It landed just three meters away.

 

“Hahaha!!!!!” Harry was looking at Louis, one hand over his mouth as he tries not to laugh but clearly falling.

 

“Go Bo, go get it!” Louis was trying to make Bo move, but the dog sits between them simply looking at the ball. “Why isn’t he going after it, Harry?” Louis pouts.

 

“Um, maybe because he’s not used to someone throwing the ball so close.” Harry giggles, and doesn’t even try to stifle them anymore.

 

“That’s not true! It landed pretty far!”Louis runs to get the ball as Bo seemed to be too confused to go after it, “stop laughing at me, H!” he exclaims when he returns, “I warned you, didn’t I?” 

 

“Haha, yeah you did. But I thought you were kidding! So I take it that you’re not much of a sports person?” 

 

“What?! Just because I didn’t throw the ball as far as you did, doesn’t mean I don’t exercise!” 

 

“Oooh I see! Sensitive subject there.” Harry teases, coming closer to Louis, “Give me the ball, I’ll show you how to do it.” he says, stretching his arm to grab the ball, but Louis is having none of it.

 

“Nope, it’s still my turn.” Louis argues, “Let me show  _ you  _ how to do it.” 

 

With that, he plants his feet to gain his ground, leans back, swings his arm and and throws the ball with as much force as he can. Bo is already running ahead watching the ball soar through the air. The second try is definitely better than the first, Harry has to concede, but this is nothing compared to what his dog is used to. He can’t help himself from starting to giggle again as he looks at Louis, but the shorter man is already watching him, a finger pointed directly at him.

 

“Don’t even start!” Louis exclaims, “let’s just move on, shall we?” And to make his point, he starts to walk away.

 

“Louis! Don’t be like that.” Harry teases catching up to Louis, “you know what, I think it’s because you’re shorter than me, your arm is much shorter too, so you can’t throw the ball like me but that’s not your fault.” he adds seriously.

 

“What did you just say?!” Louis asks, astonishment painted across his face, “Did you just say I’m small?” 

 

“Ohhhh, an even more sensitive subject there.” Harry chuckles, his hands raised in surrender.

 

“It’s not a sensitive subject because it’s not true. I’m not small, ok?” 

 

“Ok Lou, whatever you say. You’re not small at all, and you can throw the ball as far as I can, better now?” Harry’s smiling big enough to show his dimples, knowing that no one could resist him with those in display. 

 

“Um, yeah that’s better,” Louis says, slipping his hands into his pockets, “shall we go back now? I’m quite cold and I should get back to work actually.” 

 

“Yeah of course, let’s go back.” Harry agreed, though he cannot keep his thoughts to himself, “You know I was just teasing right, Louis? You’re not mad at me, are you?” 

 

“Yeah of course not, H. I’m just genuinely cold, and I need to get back to my writing.” 

 

“Ok, cool! Oh, and here take this,” Harry says handing his jacket to Louis, “You’re shivering.”

 

“Oh no, you really don’t have to-” Louis begins, but he’s interrupted by Harry moving behind him to drape the jacket over his shoulders.

 

“You’re very stubborn, love, you know that right?” Harry whispers into Louis’ ear. He can’t help but feel the need to take care of Louis. He’s so small and looks so vulnerable all the time, it’s in Harry’s genes to come to people’s rescue. That’s why he chose to be a firefighter in the first place. And if, in addition, the person in need is as gorgeous as his neighbour is, then Harry is more than willing to help.

 

“Um, th-thank you,” Louis stutters slipping his arms into the sleeves. “I’ll give it back to you when I arrive at mine.” he adds. 

 

And if Harry sees the way Louis’ cheeks are growing redder by the minute, he doesn’t say a word about it. He also doesn’t mention the way Louis snuggles into the coat, too happy with himself.

 

“Bo, come here boy! We’re going back!” Harry whistles. Bo comes running back to his side, patiently waiting for Harry to clip on the leash. “Good boy!” Harry praises Bo. 

 

After that, they make their way back to their respective flats, the weather quickly growing colder as the night approaches.

 

“Alright, I live here.” Louis announces when they arrive near his front door. 

 

“Yep, I think I remember that fact, Lou!” Harry laughs.

 

"Yeah, I don't know why I said that." Louis blushes, his gaze lowering, “I’m so cold I can’t think straight.” 

 

“It’s alright, I’ll see you another time. You’re still up for another walk one day this week?”

 

“Yeah, definitely!” Louis responds taking off Harry’s jacket. “And thank you very much for this, it’s much appreciated.” 

 

“It was no problem, Lou, really.” Harry mutters, his gaze focused on Louis who is petting Bo on the head.

 

“Bye Bo! Be good.” Louis says, “And um...bye, Harry. Today was fun.”

 

“Bye Lou, see you next time, yeah?” Harry is about to leave when he hears his name being called.

 

“Oh and, Harry!” Louis calls and shuffles close enough to throw his arms around the taller man in a hug, and whispers in his ear, “I really like it when you call me Lou.” 

 

***

  
  


Louis is whipped. As soon as he enters his flat, he goes straight to his kitchen to put the kettle on for a cuppa, and sits on his kitchen counter, eyes wandering away. Their walk had been better than he had anticipated, he couldn't stop thinking about Harry. He was such a gentleman, but it’s not just that, he was funny, caring, and so fucking fit, it wasn’t fair. During their walk, Harry had to put his hair up in a bun, and Louis could not help himself but watch the way his shirt lifted up, showing off his happy trail and his abs. Louis had butterflies in his belly just recalling it.

 

“God, what’s happening to me?” he wonders out loud to himself. Right on cue, his kettle starts to whistle, an indication that the water is boiling, and Louis hops off the counter to prepare his cup of tea.

 

His thoughts still remain on his neighbour though. It’s so unlike Louis to have a crush on people, to feel emotions so quickly for someone. Of course he has had his fair share of relationships and one night stands, but he has never felt this fluttery feeling in his stomach, never had someone clouding his thoughts all day and all night long. Those kinds of things don’t happen to him. At least, not till now. 

 

He feels compelled to go by the window near his desk, and timidly check if Harry’s in his living room. 

 

Unfortunately, there's no such luck and Louis isn't disappointed. He is not. At all. He has work to do anyway, and while he sips at his tea, he sits at his desk, opens his laptop and rereads the last sentences he had written. 

 

Nothing makes sense and he tries to read the entire last paragraph to see if it could help him get back on track with the chapter. 

 

He keeps rewriting a sentence repeatedly, nervously tapping his fingers on the keys. After several minutes of trying to be productive, Louis gives up and looks at the window again, he needs to see if Harry is around this time.

 

Why does he feel this way? He can’t explain it himself, he just needs to see Harry again, and soon would be nice. 

 

The lights are on in the flat, but Harry nor Bo are nowhere to be seen, and Louis pouts. He’s an independent twenty seven years old man, pouting, because his neighbour is not at the window. 

 

“Something is definitely wrong with me.” Louis murmurs while getting up and going straight to the bathroom. He needs a bath. A hot bath is the solution to whatever is happening right now. He just needs to relax, turn off the lights, light some candles, put some relaxing music on, have a glass of white wine and enjoy the hot water that’ll relax his muscles, and wash away the day.

 

After a quick trip to the kitchen where he served himself a glass of cold white wine, he decides to turn on his bathroom heater in low mode, in order to feel cozy, and begins to fill up the bathtub at the right temperature for him. He, then, arranges some scented candles around his bathtub for a serene atmosphere and proceeds to turn off the light so his eyes strain less. Next, he removes his phone from his back pocket and plays his relaxation playlist on Spotify. Finally he chooses two different bath bombs that he throws into the bath. 

 

“Perfect,” he murmurs, removing his clothes slowly. He gets in quickly, appreciating the scene he created for his impromptu relaxing time. 

 

Louis doesn’t do that very often. He likes to have a bath now and then, but usually he is always too lazy to prepare a bath and chooses to take a quick shower instead. However, today is different. Louis needs to escape his thoughts which are haunted by a very tall and charming, brunette man. And while sipping his wine, he lays down a little more comfortably in the tub, closes his eyes and listens to the calm music. Too quickly for Louis’ liking, he empties his glass and slips his hands into the water. Right now everything feels so nice, his brain is slightly clouded by the wine and all the scents mixed in the air, he listens to the music that definitely does the job, he feels serene. 

While one of his hands is on his torso, the other one touches his thigh,gently caresses the skin with the tip of his fingers. His hand freely travels from his thigh to his groin and he feels his heart rate slightly climb. He grips his cock, curling his fingers around it and he starts with a slow and steady stroking motion, up and down using the water to as natural lube. God, it feels so good. Quickly his cock grows thick and stands at full attention in response to the variation of speed and pressure Louis is using to get himself off. 

 

Even in the water, he can feel his cock releasing small beads of precome against his taut abdomen, causing him to emit a low groan from the back of his throat. It feels so fucking good, his head is completely relaxed against the tub and his body is lax under his hands, his feet are flat against the bottom of the tub and he starts to rock his hips, fucking into his hand. He doesn’t hear the low music anymore, just the lapping of the water that grows louder, the quicker he pumps his cock.

 

“Harry,” he whispers, twisting his hand upward and around the tip of his erect shaft.

 

Harry??? 

 

“What the fuck!?” he gasps stopping altogether. Without noticing, his mind had wandered and settled into imagining Harry with his bigger hands, working on his cock, stroking him with a secure grip, using both his hands for more friction. Just thinking about it makes Louis’ breathing quicken again, his balls tense up between his legs, he has to finish what he started. 

 

He takes his time though, to tease himself, pinching and rubbing his nipples before going back to work on his cock. The more he thinks about Harry and how it would be easy for Harry to manhandle him, the more Louis speeds his movements down his shaft. 

He feels his thighs tense and ass clench, and grunts as a familiar heat spreads deep within his groin. 

 

“Oh god,” he groans, eyes closed in concentration, his toes curling every time he touches the sensitive tip of his cock. This is all too much now, every inch of his body is flooding with warmth as he nears the brink of his orgasm. “Ungh,” he groans as he shoots his load of thick, white strips of come. 

  
  


***

  
  
  


Harry is watching TV when it happens. 

After getting back to his place from the walk in the park, Harry had felt content. If anything, the time he spent with Louis had convinced him that he needed to ask his neighbour out. He liked Louis’ wittiness, his clear love for animals, and god damn he was fit. Also he didn’t miss the way Louis seemed a little affected when Harry had whispered into his ear. Being that close to the smaller man had also overwhelmed Harry, he noticed how their bodies fit like puzzles pieces. 

 

Right now though, Harry is absently watching TV, when his dog barks at him. 

 

“What’s wrong, buddy?” Harry asks Bo, sitting up from his comfy position on his couch. Noticing how dark it is outside though, he adds, “You hungry, Bo? That’s what you need huh?” 

 

As if on cue, the dog trots towards the kitchen and sits near his bowl, watching Harry. 

 

“Ok, coming.” He chuckles, standing up and walking to the kitchen to join Bo, and accomplish his duty. 

 

When he is done with Bo’s food, he wonders what he’s going to eat for dinner tonight. He isn’t that hungry and doesn’t feel like cooking, that’s why he’s rummaging through his fridge in order to find some leftovers. Luckily, Harry is always cooking too many portions when he actually just needs one, so leftovers are not hard to find. 

 

A soon as he has heated up some lasagna he cooked the night prior, he walks back into the living room with his plate and cutlery in hand, ready to eat dinner in front of his TV. Absently though, he spares a look towards the window and that’s when he sees it.  _ Him _ . Louis. Wearing a simple robe that's untied, the strings hanging loosely by the sides.

 

Suddenly a loud noise of porcelain breaking on the floor startles him and Harry realises too late that he’d just dropped his plate.

 

“Fuck!” Harry curses and kneels to gather the pieces of his broken plate, but he can’t help himself and has another look through the window but Louis has disappeared, thankfully, without noticing that his noisy neighbour had seen him, wearing so little. 

It's the wet noises of Bo eating that pulls him out of his daydream.While Harry was drooling in front of the window, his dog had taken the matter into his hands and started cleaning Harry’s dinner off the floor.

 

“Bo! No!” he shouts. Bo stops and eyes him, licking his mouth. “This is not your dinner, you glutton! Go back to yours!” Harry adds chastening his dog with a movement of his hand. 

 

After having cleaned his mess, he goes back to the couch, his appetite long gone, and he checks one more time through the window in case what just happened had just been a dream. All the lights are turned off in Louis' flat, and Harry wonders if this is how Louis sleeps at night, completely naked, his soft skin in direct contact with the crisp and cold sheets. Of course, he didn’t only see the caramel skin of the other man, his gaze couldn’t avert from having a glance at Louis’ groin. His soft cock hanging there between his lean yet muscular legs. Damn he was screwed, Harry thought as started to palm himself through his sweats. He was getting hard just from a glimpse of Louis’ naked body, this is wrong, this all so wrong he tries to persuade himself. 

 

“Stop!” he exclaims to himself, quickly getting off his sofa and going to the bathroom, he needs a shower right now, a  _ cold _ shower. 

  
  


***

 

Louis is reading in bed, glasses perched upon his nose, two pillows propping his back and a comforter pulled over his torso. A warm cup of tea sits on his nightstand but he's feeling sleepy. 

 

After his bath, he hadn’t bothered to put on any clothes. He wore his silky robe, not bothering to tie the strings, and went into the kitchen to find the leftover of the takeaway he got for lunch. Once he finished dinner, Louis had decided to head to bed. He was feeling too tired to do anything else anyway. 

 

The bip from his phone announced he had gotten a text which made him put his book aside.

 

_ Hi, it’s Harry! I hope you are ok! I was wondering if you would like to have dinner sometime this week at mine? I do a mean lasagna ;) _

 

Well, well, well. 

 

Louis couldn’t help but smile. Harry didn’t even wait a day before asking him out.

 

**Hey, Harry ! Yeah, it’s a good idea. I’m free tomorrow evening, if you’re up for it ;) (Also you don't need to introduce yourself I know it’s you, H!)**

 

Before sending it, he wondered if proposing to meet Harry tomorrow evening would make him seem desperate, but he clicks on the send button before giving it too much thought.  _ We only live once _ , he reassures himself, plus he really wanted to see Harry, and the quicker the better!

 

_ Great! Amazing! Come to mine at 6 then? See you tomorrow :) x _

 

Harry’s reply was almost instantaneous which makes the smile on Louis’ face turn into a smirk. Apparently Harry seems to be just as eager as he is to meet up.

 

**Ok, see you at 6, H! Have a goodnight. x**

  
  


Louis wakes up the day after, feeling energised. He has a date tonight! It’s been a while since he has been on one to be honest, and the last relationship he had was three months ago and didn’t end very well. Which certainly explains why nothing had happened in the last three months in his romantic life. But now, he feels ready, ready to at least try, to have a good time with his charming neighbour. They can still stay friends if things don’t work out. Though, Louis is determined to put the odds on his side and already has an idea on what he is going to wear tonight. 

Unfortunately his third alarm pulls him out of his thoughts, it’s time to get to work. 

 

The day passes idly, all his thoughts are on what could happen tonight instead of his assignments, and Louis is more than relieved to see that it's nearing 5 pm. He quickly turns off his computer and goes straight to his bathroom for a shower. While under the hot jet, he takes his time to wash himself thoroughly and shaves, because that’s how he is the most comfortable when his skin is smooth and soft. 

Once out of the shower, he spends a few minutes surveying the clothes in his cupboard. He finally decides on skinny jeans which he rolls up at the hem to allow his dainty ankles to be seen, slips on a scoop neck shirt and adds a denim jacket on top of it.

Satisfied with his choices, he checks himself in the mirror, trying to see how his butt looks knowing that it’s his best asset. 

 

His hair is the next stop, and he runs his fingers through it for a bit as he wants it to look as artfully messy as possible. Happy with the result he thinks to himself that he looks damn hot tonight, and chooses to finally spray on some perfume in the crook of his neck and the insides of his wrists. 

 

Once he’s done he checks the time, happy to note that it’s almost time to go to the Harry’s.

  
  


***

 

Harry is a nervous wreck. All day long his thoughts have been on the date he and Louis will be having.Thankfully, today he is off from work so he spent his day creating the perfect ambience for tonight. He decides to cook his famous fajitas, he knows that everyone who has ever tasted them has given him only compliments. He also cleaned his flat and found numerous toys belonging to Bo that he thought were lost under his bed and the couch. 

 

Speaking of Bo, he decided to give his dog a shower which took him two hours because Bo is definitely getting bigger now. But the result is worth the effort though, Bo’s fur is slowly changing from his baby’s fur to his adult one, the hair is longer but still very soft. 

 

After his dog, it was time for him to have a shower too. Once he is out of it, he decides to wear dark skinny jeans and a floral blouse. He doesn’t have that many opportunities to dress up nowadays, always wearing his uniform or comfy clothes to relax on his days off. He is happy to be able to wear the clothes he only reserves for special occasions, and to see that it still fits him perfectly. Being a firefighter is a dangerous job overall, but one of the many benefits of it is to be able to workout everyday which gives him perfectly toned abs and legs. 

 

Checking himself in the bathroom mirror, he decides to open the three first buttons of his shirt, so his abs will show. 

 

When the time comes to do his hair, he decides to let it loose. He knows his curls won’t behave tonight and will fall over his face more than once but that’s his best look, and he actually feels more confident with them tumbling over his shoulders. 

 

The final touch is the cologne he sprays in the crook of his neck making his dog frown and sneeze and leave him alone in the bathroom. 

 

When he finally hears the knock on his door, he lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and walks towards the door, his dog following closely. Bo knew to not bark when someone was at the door, however, he was still a dog and a very curious one at that! 

 

“Hi, Louis!” Harry greets, opening the door. 

 

“Hello! I’m a little early. I hope you don’t mind.” Louis says with an embarrassed look on his face which is quickly replaced by a huge grin when he sees Bo whining in happiness, in greeting.

 

“Of course not! Come in, come in! Bo is impatient to greet you properly.” Harry assures stepping away from the door to let Louis in. As soon as Louis is in the apartment, he crouches down to pet Bo. The dog is more than happy to see him, wagging his tail madly and licking Louis’ fingers. 

 

“I’m happy to see you too, Bo! That’s a good boy!” Louis praises softly. Harry is smiling wide as he watches them interact, happy to see his dog being loved like he definitely deserves. 

 

“Louis, can I get your coat?” Harry asks interrupting the moment. It seems to startle Louis and he chuckles nervously.

 

“Yeah, of course, sorry!” he says looking nervous but hands his coat to Harry to hang on the hook behind the front door. 

 

“Nothing to be sorry for. I know Bo can be quite entertaining. Alright, please follow me, everything is almost ready.”

 

Louis follows Harry into the kitchen, watches him dish the food onto some lovely ceramic plates, and helps him carry the food to the dining table. Their dinner goes smoothly, they banter back and forth and the conversation just flows. Once they're done with their meals, they head into the living room and settle on the couch for a film. 

 

‘Harry, the meal was really delicious. I’m very impressed.” Louis says from his place on the sofa, “I feel so full. I’m not used to eating so much.”  

 

“Thank you, Lou. It was nothing really. I can teach you next time how to make that dish.” Harry nudges Louis’ knee in indication for a bit more space on the sofa so he can sit a little more comfortably to watch the movie. “Can I put my legs here? You don’t mind?” 

 

“No of course not. It’s your sofa after all,” Louis chuckles, moving a little to allow Harry’s long legs to stretch on the sofa.

 

“It may be my sofa, but you’re my guest” Harry winks.

 

“Well, in that case, move over, H! I want Bo on the sofa. Is that allowed?” 

 

Hearing his name, the dog raises his head from where he was lying, looking at Louis then Harry.

 

“Oh no I’m sorry, I don’t allow him on the sofa or on my bed,” Harry says and points at the floor with his pointer finger to show Bo that he has to remain lying there.

 

“That’s so not fair.” Louis whines and gets up to go sit on the floor next to the dog, “if he is not allowed to come to me then I’ll go to him. Hi, pup!” 

 

Bo is more than delighted to have some company, and rolls on his belly, a sign that some belly rubs would be much appreciated right now, to which Louis complies happily. 

 

“I can’t believe it!” Harry laughs from his seat on the sofa, “you came here just for my dog, didn’t you?” 

 

“Of course not! I came here for you.” Louis responds albeit a little bit too quickly, “I think it was obvious, no?” he adds shyly, staring at his hands. He can’t face Harry with his face heating up. 

 

“Lou?” Harry moves onto the floor next to Louis in a fraction of seconds, “Love, look at me, please?” 

  
  
  


*** 

 

Louis is embarrassed. He’d just let it slip that he’s interested in Harry, and their first date (is it even a date?) isn’t even over. Everything has been so lovely till now. Harry had made them a delicious meal, they were chilling in front of the TV, it was so easy to talk and laugh with Harry and of course Bo was the cherry on top of the cake. The dog has been begging for more petting more than often and Louis was loving it. But now, they were both on the floor because of some silly banter that went wrong and Louis was regretting having outed his intentions so quickly. What if Harry was not interested in him? What if he only wanted to be friends with Louis?

The quick movement of Harry cupping his chin startled Louis out of his thoughts. 

 

“Lou?” Harry repeats. His thumb caresses lightly over Louis’ cheek, “You ok, love?” 

 

Louis pulls his legs against his chest, bent at the knees, and wraps his arms around them.

 

“No, um, I think I should go back home.” he murmurs, yet he doesn’t move. 

 

“And I think you should stay here because I’m really happy to have you here,” Harry replies softly, trying to meet Louis’ gaze, but Louis keeps staring at his own knees instead. “But if you want to leave, I’ll go find your coat right away. But Lou, can I tell you something?” Harry doesn’t wait for an answer before he continues, “I like you too, Louis.”

 

Bo takes this opportunity to come near Louis to lick his cheek which makes the boy grin.

 

“See, even Bo is saying that he likes you and doesn’t want you to leave.” Harry grins.

 

Louis is a little overwhelmed by the turn of events but finds it in him to still joke about it. “Well if Bo insists then…” Louis says with a smirk on his face. 

 

“Oh my god! I can’t with you!!” Harry laughs and lunges at Louis to tickle him.

 

Louis is taken aback by Harry’s sudden movement on him, and finds himself on his back, laughing so hard that he can’t talk.

 

“Harry, stop! Haha! I’m really ticklish! Harry!” he tries to remove Harry’s hands from his sides but it’s a waste of time, Harry is so much stronger than him. He could pick Louis from the floor like he weighs nothing without batting an eye. 

 

“Ok! Ok, I’ll stop on one condition.” Harry says. He’s straddling Louis, and he can see Louis’ cheeks growing pink, pupils slightly dilating.

 

“Get off me! Bo, help me please!” Louis is having none of it, it’s not because he is lighter and smaller than Harry that he can’t put on a good fight. Bo, who doesn’t really understand the whole situation, must think that Louis is legitimately trapped under Harry because as soon as he hears his name, the dog starts barking at Harry. He grips Harry’s sweater between his teeth and starts to pull. 

 

“Bo, stop it!” Harry laughs. His dog immediately stops pulling and sits near them, “and you” he adds looking straight into Louis’ eyes with a light smirk across his face, “that was very naughty to involve my dog in this.”

 

“I’m sorry!” Louis says, but is quickly interrupted by Harry who is now leaning over his face.

 

“What am I going to do with you, Lou? You don’t follow any rules do you?” 

 

That sent shivers down Louis’ spine. All he could reply was a throaty groan, feeling himself getting hard under Harry who is still sitting on his groin. 

 

“Can I kiss you, Louis?” Harry’s mouth hovers over Louis’, he can feel Harry’s hot breath and all he can do is bite his bottom lip lightly and nod. 

 

Louis always loved kissing his partners, he likes the intimacy of it and the fact that a simple kiss can stir so many different feelings but nothing would have prepared him for this kiss. Harry is gentle but controls the kiss, his plush lips soft on Louis’ thinner ones. 

 

The kiss grows heated quickly when Louis slightly opens his mouth to let Harry’s tongue in. Harry has both hands cupping Louis’ cheeks and the petite boy just feels overwhelmed, his cheeks growing hot, and his cock straining against the jeans.

 

“Harry,” Louis moans when he can’t feel the other man lips’ on his. He opens his eyes, already pouting because he wants more, he needs more than just one kiss, “please”.

 

“Look who’s eager,” Harry smiles. With the one hand still on Louis’ cheek, he proceeds to slightly tilt Louis’ head to the side and attach his lips onto Louis’ exposed neck. “You’re so beautiful, babe.”

 

“Harry,” Louis cries. It’s so good. Harry is definitely very talented with his lips and his tongue, but Louis needs more. With another whine he manages to get his hands under Harry’s sweater,  letting them wander over Harry’s toned abs and chest.

 

“Should we move this to my bedroom?” Harry asks smugly between kisses.

 

“Yes please, I-” Louis could not even finish his sentence before he felt himself rising from the floor. “What the f-” he tries to protest but is interrupted by Harry’s large hands cupping his bum.

 

“Shh babe, I’ll take care of you,” Harry murmurs, always so smug. He carries Louis quickly into his bedroom, closing the door behind to prevent Bo from following.

 

“Get off me!” Louis tries to free himself from Harry’s strong grip. Harry quickly deposits him carefully on his bed. 

 

“Your wish is my command, my dear,” Harry replies playfully. “Come here,” he adds Louis complies, sitting up. He kisses Harry, bodies pressed close, and proceeds to remove Harry's top.

 

“Off, get these off!” Louis knows he is acting extra needy tonight and he really tries to control himself because he likes Harry and doesn’t want to blow up his chance with the boy, but he can’t help it. Being on Harry’s bed, surrounded by his smell, musky yet sweet, makes Louis desperate for release. Luckily, Harry seemed to be just as much on board as Louis is because in less than a minute the man is completely naked. His dick is flushed and bending slightly upwards on his tummy which has Louis licking his lips, his cock looks inviting.

 

“Harry,” Louis whines his eyes on the other man’s thick member. 

 

“What’s wrong, babe?” Harry chuckles. It’s not a question. He knows he is bigger than the average man from the reactions he has received from his previous partners. He stands there smugly before moving forward and starting to undress Louis who still hasn’t made a move to get rid of his own clothes, and that won’t do for what Harry has planned. 

 

He makes quick work of it, undresses Louis and takes his time to trace over Louis’ naked body. The petite boy has curvy hips and a round butt that has Harry whimpering on the inside, his bum is every man’s dream. Louis has a narrow waist and a soft tummy. Harry can’t help himself from touching the soft caramel skin in front of him.

 

“You’re so pretty, babe,” he exhales. 

 

“Harry, I need you,” Louis is trying his best not to sound too desperate but he already misses Harry’s lips. In his attempt to get Harry to stop looking and start acting he scrambles backwards to the head of the bed, and lays on his back, both legs spread open, inviting. 

 

That did the trick because the next thing he feels is Harry crawling over him, capturing his mouth once again for a filthy kiss. He, then, proceeds to kiss along Louis’ neck and collarbones, leaving deep purple marks and Louis can already feel precome leaking along his cock. 

 

“What do you need, baby?” is all Harry exhales, his mouth still working on Louis’ body. He is gradually trailing further down Louis’ torso, kissing, licking and nipping.

 

“I need you,” Louis whimpers, his hands fisting the sheets under him.

 

“I’m here, babe. I want to make you feel good,” Harry is now wandering below Louis’ navel which has the boy whimpering slowly from how good it feels. “Can I suck you off, babe?”

 

“Yes, yes, yes, please” Louis is done trying not to sound desperate.  _ He is _ . And he needs Harry to do something about it. His hips buck involuntarily when Harry’s hot breath lingers on his flushed and angry cock

 

“You’re so pretty, babe,” Harry whispers and Louis is not sure if Harry is talking to him or to his cock. He has no time to wonder though. Harry doesn’t wait any further to take him in his mouth. As if he was starving all this time, Harry opens his mouth wide, and Louis can first feel his hot tongue on his shaft then the hot cocoon of Harry's mouth closing in around his cock.

 

“Harry,” he moans, breathless, he tries to thrust his hips but Harry's quick to hold him still, large hands gripping onto his hips. He feels fingers wrapping around his cock, giving it a gentle tug, spreading the saliva as if it is lube, before he can feel Harry’s tongue back at it, this time teasing the head of his length. “More,” Louis moans loudly. He always tended to be loud during sex but he didn’t expect himself to be that comfortable with Harry, after all they haven’t known each other for a long time. 

 

Louis’ sex noises has Harry’s eyes snap back to Louis’ face, a smug smile plastered on his face. “Do you want to come like that, babe?” he asks before getting back to vigorously bobbing his head around Louis’ cock. 

 

Louis never has sex on the first date with anyone, that's one of his rules, that’s one of his rules. First, because he likes to keep some mystery and not ‘give’ everything during the first time. Second, because he really needs to trust his partner enough before having intercourse. That’s why he is surprised when he hears himself responding with, ‘No, I want you to fuck me please, Harry.” 

 

“You’re sure, babe?” 

 

“Yes, let me finger myself, I-” Louis begins, starting to sit back up and looking around for the lube but he is quickly interrupted by Harry’s large hand on his tummy, pushing him back on the bed. 

 

“There’s no way I’ll let you finger yourself, love,” Harry scoffs, “I said I’ll take care of you, didn’t I?” With that, Louis sees him fumbling in the top drawer of his nightstand to come back quickly between Louis’ legs. “You’re ready?” he asks while coating one finger with lube. 

 

Louis only nods sheepishly, his teeth biting into his lower lip, he likes it a lot when Harry takes control, makes him want to give it to Harry completely. 

 

“Look at you, baby, so pretty for me” Harry breathes out, moving closer to press his lips against Louis' neck, kissing and biting while he slowly penetrates Louis’ pink hole with his finger. The first finger always leaves an uncomfortable sensation for a little while at first. Louis frowns and whimpers which has Harry slowing down and peppering kisses along Louis’ collarbones. “You’re so tight, love.”

 

Louis’ chest is already flushed, and his breathing is uneven. His back arches off the bed, and Harry can hear him moaning “Give me another one please!” 

 

Harry is more than happy to oblige and add another finger to the one already buried in Louis’ warm hole. He quickly finds a quick rhythm and takes care of opening Louis properly. 

 

“I’m fine, H. Gt on with it already.” Louis urges when Harry is three fingers deep inside of him. Harry only chuckles but removes his fingers and leans towards the nightstand to grab a condom. “Let me do it,” Louis says sitting back up. 

 

The feeling and the sight of Louis’ petite hands on his cock rolling the condom on is a lot for Harry to see which has him groaning and taking control once again by cupping Louis cheeks with his hands and kissing him tongue first. Louis is pliant under his touch and goes back to lie down, taking Harry on top of him with the movement. Harry gently spreads apart Louis legs which moves easily under his touch, and lean his hips against Louis’.

 

“Please, Harry,” Louis rasps when he feels the tip of Harry’s cock at his entrance. Harry takes his time to penetrate Louis slowly, giving him time to adjust to his size. When he can’t see any sign of discomfort on Louis’ face, Harry begins to thrust slowly, at first. He can feel Louis’ fingers digging into his back as if to coax Harry closer. Harry takes the silent order and thrusts deeper, feeling Louis’s cock twitch under his stomach.

 

“You’re so tight for me, babe, so pretty like that,” Harry mumbles into Louis’ neck. He can feel himself becoming completely incoherent, Louis feels amazing under him, so warm, tense, yet relaxed. The noises coming from Louis’ mouth are filthy, and encourages him to hook Louis’ legs over his waist and rolls his hips.

 

“Harry! There, oh my god, there!” suddenly Louis shrieks when Harry touches his prostate. His arms wind around Harry’s neck, and he’s a sweaty mess, whining and growling as he can chases his orgasm. “Harry, please!” 

 

Harry removes his face from Louis’ neck and and taking a hold of Louis' hands, he pins them above Louis' head by the wrists, his thrusts becoming more aggressive. “Come for me babe, c’mon!” he pants into Louis’ ear. And it works like charm. Louis’ mouth opens in a silent cry while he comes, painting his stomach with his come. His legs tremble but he loosens them from around Harry’s waist, a half smile plastered on his face. 

 

Harry follows suit seconds later, his orgasm hitting him suddenly. His hips thrust forward to finish deeper into Louis’ hole. Waves of pleasure overwhelms him and he ends up collapsing on top of the petite boy who is quick to try to push him off.

 

“Harry, you’re heavy.” he whines. Harry quickly rolls onto the side of the bed, still trying to catch his breath. He removes the condom, ties it up and gets up to throw it in the bin in his en-suite bathroom. He quickly wets a flannel and comes back to clean Louis’ stomach.

 

“Come here, darling.” he murmurs and Louis immediately crawls on top of Harry, content to rest his face in the crook of his neck, their limbs intertwined. 

 

Harry doesn’t need to speak further, he secures Louis in his arms, one coming to rest on his back, his fingers caressing Louis’ skin. They're still panting a little, taking the time to get their breathing into a normal rhythm as the post orgasm haze wears off. 

 

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Harry asks warily. He doesn’t want to let Louis go, he always has been a fan of cuddles after sex, and imagining Louis leaving soon back to his flat is making him a little anxious.

 

The only response he receives though is Louis snuggling closer to his chest and a weak murmur that’s barely audible, “Sleepy.” 

 

That’s settled then. Effortlessly, he reaches for the sheets and the duvet bunched up at the bottom of the bed and covers the both of them, creating a cocoon. He falls asleep feeling happy and content with Louis in his arms, memories of when they met at the bakery at the corner of the street, replaying in his mind. He’ll definitely have to thank his dog later for all of this. 

  
  
  
  


Fin

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hope you liked it enough to give a kudo or even a comment! Thank you for reading :)


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